Ms. Poshard was one of 24 students selected for the Presidential/Chancellor Scholarship, a taxpayer-funded scholarship worth about $80,000. More than 250 students applied for the award and 100 finalists were invited for campus interviews before the winners were chosen. "My first concerns began after finding out that I had received the scholarship," Poshard wrote in an email to the Chicago Tribune. "After the initial excitement I learned that not everyone would believe that I earned my scholarship fairly. My family and I discussed the potential consequences of accepting the scholarship, and then I decided the scholarship was the best way to set myself up for success in the future, no matter what criticisms may be said."

According to the Tribune, Mr. Poshard says he stayed out of the scholarship decision, but acknowledges that officials knew that Ms. Poshard was his granddaughter. University financial aid directors said that, in general, schools do not bar employees’ relatives from merit scholarships. Do you think nepotism played a role in Ms. Poshard’s scholarship win? Do you think it’s fair for a clearly bright student to have her credentials questioned because of who her grandfather is? Let us know what you think.

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